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This code is based on a national model code of practice developed by Safe Work Australia and
approved by the Select Council on Workplace Relations in July 2012 as part of the harmonisation
of work health and safety laws.
PN11670
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1.2 Who has health and safety duties in relation to first aid?
A person conducting a business or undertaking has the primary duty under the Act to ensure,
so far as is reasonably practicable, that workers and other persons are not exposed to health and
safety risks arising from the business or undertaking.
The Regulations place specific obligations on a person conducting a business or undertaking in
relation to first aid, including requirements to:
provide first aid equipment and ensure each worker at the workplace has access to the
equipment
ensure access to facilities for the administration of first aid
ensure that an adequate number of workers are trained to administer first aid at the workplace
or that workers have access to an adequate number of other people who have been trained to
administer first aid.
A person conducting a business or undertaking may not need to provide first aid equipment or
facilities if these are already provided by another duty holder at the workplace and they are
adequate and easily accessible at the times that the workers carry out work.
Officers, such as company directors, have a duty to exercise due diligence to ensure that the
business or undertaking complies with the Act and Regulations. This includes taking reasonable
steps to ensure that the business or undertaking has and uses appropriate resources and
processes to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety.
The Act section. 47: A person conducting a business or undertaking must consult, so far as is
reasonably practicable, with workers who carry out work for the business or undertaking who
are (or likely to be) directly affected by a work health and safety matter.
The Act section. 48: If the workers are represented by a health and safety representative, the
consultation must involve that representative.
You must consult your workers when making decisions about what facilities are needed, including
those required for administering first aid. Consultation should include:
the number, location and contents of first aid kits and other equipment
the type of first aid facilities that may be needed
first aid procedures
the number of first aiders.
The Act section. 46: A person conducting a business or undertaking must consult, co-operate
and co-ordinate activities with all other persons who have a work health or safety duty in
relation to the same matter, so far as is reasonably practicable.
Sometimes you may have responsibility for health and safety together with other business
operators who are involved in the same activities or who share the same workplace. In these
situations, you should communicate with each other to find out who is doing what and work
Regulation section 42: When considering how to provide first aid, a person conducting a
business or undertaking must consider all relevant matters including:
the nature of the work being carried out at the workplace
the nature of the hazards at the workplace
the size, location and nature of the workplace
the number and composition of the workers at the workplace.
Records of injuries, illnesses, ‘near miss’ incidents and other information that has already been
obtained to assist in controlling risks at the workplace will be useful to make appropriate decisions
about first aid.
Step 2:
Consider the nature of the work being carried out at the workplace and determine if your workers
are at a high risk of being exposed to hazards that could require immediate first aid treatment.
Step 3:
Determine if the workplace is remote or if access to emergency services is difficult. High risk
workplaces that do not have timely access to medical and ambulance services should have at least
one first aider for every 10 workers.
Step 4:
Consider the variety of ways that your workers carry out work, for example:
if a worker spends most, if not all, of their time working alone and in transit i.e. their workplace
is their vehicle and the places they visit in the course of their work (e.g. couriers, taxi drivers,
sales representatives, door-to-door charity collectors and inspectors)
if a worker’s location varies on a regular basis and they often work without supervision (e.g.
tradespeople, construction workers in the housing industry, farm hands and cleaners)
if a worker sometimes works alone for relatively short periods of time (e.g. when opening or
closing a business for trade or working back late to meet a deadline).
In these situations, it may not be practicable to have a first aider available at all times at the
workplace. However, these workers must be able to access first aid assistance, for example by
ensuring they are provided with:
an effective means of contacting emergency services or first aiders
information, instruction and training on how to respond if a serious injury or illness occurs.
Step 5:
Before finalising the number of first aiders your workers require access to, consider if there are any
other factors that indicate that your workplace needs additional first aiders, for example:
the arrangement of work (multiple shifts or overtime)
seasonal work, where there may be a sudden and significant increase or decrease in the
number of workers
where there are large numbers of other persons present on a regular basis (e.g. schools,
shopping centres, hotels and function centres)
workplaces that have unique hazards such as fitness centres, amusement rides and dive
schools
access during times when a first aider is absent (e.g. annual leave).
You must provide information about first aid to your workers so that they know what to do and who
to contact if they are sick or injured.
Information should be easy to understand, accessible and should take into account the language
and literacy levels of your workers. Information may be given using verbal methods (e.g.
explanations and demonstrations) or visual methods (e.g. videos and posters).
The information and instruction on first aid should include:
the location of first aid equipment and facilities
the names and location of persons trained to administer first aid
the procedures to be followed when first aid is required.
The information and instruction should be provided as part of workers’ induction training and when
there are any changes, for example in the location of first aid facilities or in the names, locations or
contact details of first aiders.
Do the first aid kits and modules suit the hazards at your workplace?
Are more first aid kits required?
Are first aid kits accessible to workers?
Are first aid kits well maintained and identifiable to workers?
Is a first aid room or health centre required?
Are first aid facilities well maintained?
Do first aiders have the skills and competencies required of them and are their skills
up-to-date?
Do workers know how to access first aiders?
Are more first aiders needed?
Do workers have access to first aiders at all times?
Do workers and other people know what to in an emergency situation?
Is there easy access for emergency services, such as parking for an ambulance?
Does the nature of the work being carried out pose a hazard to people’s health and safety?
Have these hazards been identified in work that is being carried out?
Has incident and injury data been reviewed?
Has consultation with workers and their health and safety representatives occurred?
Is specialist or external assistance required?
First aiders First aid kits and procedures First aid facilities
How many first aiders What kits/modules are needed and Is a first aid room or
are needed? where should they be located? health centre
What competencies Is other first aid equipment required?
do they require? needed?
What training do they Who is responsible for maintaining
need? the kits?
What procedures are needed for
my workplace?
Step 4
A first aid kit for a workplace where the risk of injury or illness is low should include at least the
following:
instructions for providing first aid – including cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) flow
chart
adhesive strips (assorted sizes) for minor wound dressing
splinter probes (single use, disposable)
non-allergenic adhesive tape for securing dressings and strapping
eye pads for emergency eye cover
triangular bandage for slings, support and/or padding
hospital crepe or conforming bandage to hold dressings in place
wound/combine dressings to control bleeding and for covering wounds
non-adhesive dressings for wound dressing
safety pins to secure bandages and slings
scissors for cutting dressings or clothing
kidney dish for holding dressings and instruments
small dressings bowl for holding liquids
gauze squares for cleaning wounds
forceps/tweezers for removing foreign bodies
disposable nitrile, latex or vinyl gloves for infection control
sharps disposal container for infection control and disposal purposes
sterile saline solution or sterile water for emergency eye wash or for irrigating eye wounds.
This saline solution must be discarded after opening
resuscitation mask to be used by qualified personnel for resuscitation purposes
antiseptic solution for cleaning wounds and skin
plastic bags for waste disposal
note pad and pen/pencil for recording the injured or ill person’s condition and treatment given
re-usable ice-pack for the management of strains, sprains and bruises.
Medication, including analgesics such as paracetamol and aspirin, should not be included in first
aid kits because of their potential to cause adverse health effects in some people including
asthmatics, pregnant women and people with medical conditions. The supply of these medications
may also be controlled by drugs and poisons laws. Workers requiring prescribed and over-the-
counter medications should carry their own medication for their personal use as necessary.
Some types of workplaces may require additional items to treat specific types of injuries or
illnesses.
Outdoor work
If work is performed outside and there is a risk of insect or plant stings or snake bites, assess
whether the following items should also be included in the first aid kit:
a heavy duty crepe bandage
sting relief cream, gel or spray.
Remote work
Where people work in remote locations, a first aid kit should include:
heavy smooth crepe roller bandages, 10cm wide and sufficient quantity to bandage lower limbs
to immobilise limb after a snakebite
splint to immobilise limb after a snake bite or fractures
hydrogel burn dressings if there is no cool water supply
large clean sheeting (for covering burns)
thermal/emergency blanket for the management of shock and to assist portability of a patient
first aid manual or book
whistle (for attracting attention)
torch and/or flashlight for use at night and for attracting attention.
note pad and pen/pencil for recording the injured or ill person’s condition, and treatment given.
The appropriate contents will vary according to the nature of the work and its associated risks.
Burn injuries
If your workers are at risk of receiving burns, you should include the following items:
burn treatment instructions on two water-proof instruction cards: one for the first aid kit and the
other to be located on the wall next to the emergency shower or water supply
hydro gel (8 × 3.5 gram sachets)
hydro gel dressings
clean polythene sheets (small, medium and large)
7.5cm cotton conforming bandage.
You should establish procedures to avoid workers becoming ill and exposing others to illness when
handling blood or body substances. Procedures could include:
proper hand hygiene practices
how to handle and dispose of sharps
how to clean surfaces and reusable equipment
how to manage spills and handle and clean soiled laundry
how to handle and dispose of waste
when to use personal protective equipment (e.g. using resuscitation masks for
cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
First aiders should be aware of what to do if they have accidental contact with blood or body
substances, a sharps injury or contact with a person known to have a contagious illness. Any part
of the body that comes in contact with blood or body substances should be washed with soap and
water immediately. Prompt medical advice should be obtained.
All first aiders should be offered hepatitis B virus vaccination.
Contaminated items
All items that are soiled with blood or body substances should be placed in plastic bags and tied
securely. Waste disposal should comply with any state or local government requirements.
Sharps, including scissors and tweezers, that have become contaminated with blood or body
substances should be disposed of in a rigid-walled, puncture-resistant sharps container by the
person that used them. The materials, design, construction, colour and markings of sharps
containers should comply with:
AS 4031-1992 – Non-reusable containers for the collection of sharp medical items used in
health care areas
AS/NZS 4261-1994 – Reusable containers for the collection of sharp items used in human and
animal medical applications.
If a first aider sustains a sharps injury or thinks they are at risk of infection from blood or bodily fluid
contamination, they should seek prompt medical advice.
Cleaning spills
Cleaning should commence as soon as possible after an incident involving blood or body
substances has occurred. First aiders should wear disposable gloves when cleaning spills and if
splashes of blood or body substances may occur, additional protective equipment such as eye
protection, plastic aprons and masks should be worn. Surfaces that have been contaminated with
blood or body substances should be wiped with paper towelling and cleaned with warm soapy
water. It is generally unnecessary to use sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach) for managing spills
but it may be used in specific circumstances, for example if the surface is hard to clean.